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The Nats just traded Cole and Peacock as part of a package for Gio Gonzales. We didn't move quickly on Derek Lowe and now we've missed out on two quality prospects. Just once I'd like to see us out in front of one of these deals.

I just read this on Yahoo also. Cole, Peacock and Derek Norris for this guy? On value they WOULD have had to send Harper for Jones. I simply don't understand how it is we never have our hands in the cookie jar.

Peacock and Cole were the real deal. Cole would be DYLAN Bundy lite and Peacock was BOBBY Bundy but ML ready now. Milone will be a ML pitcher but the jury is out as to whether it will be as a starter or reliever. Norris is a highly respected prospect but I have some doubts about his plate discipline.

The Nats were clearly ready to trade quality prospects for what they saw as a way to make them a contender now. I just wish that Dan Duquette would have hand cuffed himself to Mike Rizzo until Rizzo saw the value in Adam Jones and JJ Hardy or Jeremy Guthrie. Just another missed opportunity.

birdwatcher55 wrote:I don't see Hardy going anywhere unless we are absolutely blown away by an offer

The Nats NEED Hardy to finish off what they've started this winter but I'm not sure they have enough left in their system that they're willing or allowed to trade (2011 draftees) that would interest us anymore.

OriolesRedskins28 wrote:I would take Jurjens, Prado and Teheran in a heartbeat... or just two of the prospects like Teheran and Minor.

Not that it has anything to do with trading Jones but the O's could have drafted Mike Minor instead of Matt Hobgood. Seeing his name brought up in these Atlanta trade discussions always reminds me of Hobgood

kwalker35 wrote:has there been any thought of possibly extending adam jones contract instead of dealing him ?

Frankly, I don't see him as someone to build around. He's not as good a CF as his hype, he has a mediocre OBA, and he's not much of a clutch hitter. He's an above average player that will never have as much trade value as he has now. I just don't understand why the team is not marketing the dog poop out of him this winter when teams with deep farm systems are looking for a CF. We're never going to rebuild until we get more young talent and trading Jones would give us the potential to fill at least two holes.

I'll tell you ofahn , looking at what San Diego got for Matt Latos, you are on to something. I like Adam Jones for his outspokeness and competiveness. It is a refreshing sight to see coming from this team. At least he shows some competitive fire, unlike other players in this organization. I would like to see him stay and become part of a foundation of a transition, but some of these moves, beg to question their motives. I know it's still early in the off season , but ....you gotta wonder what the hell gives here ?

Matt P wrote:Yeah, and Minor signed for around the same as Hobgood. A lot of people think it was a matter of the O's being cheap but in reality they just had no idea what they were doing (as usual).

This isn't a criticism, but hindsight is 20/20. I did some research and found that Leake and Minor we're two pitchers asking for big bonuses and/or ML contracts. It ended up that their bonuses fell in line with Hobgood's but to select either of those two guys would have created uncertainty in the limited draft budget the Orioles had that year.

Yes, the team spent about 8.5M on bonuses in 2009 but, considering the state of their farm system at the time, you have to wonder why it wasn't at least 50% more. If they would have budgeted at the 12M mark then the demands of Leake, Minor, or someone else wouldn't have mattered. Was this the GM (MacPhail) not properly appreciating how bad a condition the farm system was in or Angelos refusing to accept that the entire organization needed a complete rebuild from the bottom up? Fast forward to the eve of 2012 and we still have good reason to ask this same question.